It's Team Online for me! Each year I purchase a large amount of iris and now daylilies, and just recently a few roses online. And there's no way I could find what I'm looking for locally. Plus I like to purchase new iris and daylily introductions directly from the hybridizers.

If I have to choose it would be team online. If you collect certain plants you can never find the variety at a local nursery you can online plus you can get the plant a season or 2 before it is available locally. If you do your research you can get great deals and fair shipping prices with companies that back up their plants.

It's awesome to have such a wonderful variety right at your finger tips. In just a few tries at online plant shopping, you will normally get your favorites and buy from them year to year. Of course, I'm not saying I don't buy the occasional from a local nursery. But I love spending the end of summer and fall designing my new beds and ordering plants.

I guess I'm online and local both...

Normally I get seeds online (the ones I want that I don't save each year). Also I check out nurserys and box stores towards the end of season for discounted plants, usually shrubs that I like to buy so I can take cuttings from them. Great way to increase your stock and variety of plants.

Shoe

I used to be local only but I see myself turning to online more & more & for most of the same reasons Dave states. Local doesn't have the variety & box stores are BORING! Not to mention they have a lot of stuff that doesn't even really grow locally so people buy them, get then home, plant them & then they die.
If I need larger plants to use as instant screening then I have no choice but to go local.

When I lived in England both; but here in Finland nursery/garden centres close at the end of October and don't re-open till April. There's also a very small selection of varieties because the Finnish market is so small. I buy nearly all my seeds, bulbs and plants on-line. No problems or restrictions with shopping anywhere in the European Union. For advice on cold climate gardening in English I tend to rely on the website Canadian Gardening.

Gee Pat, I didn't know that Finland was previously England.

It is team online for me. The local places carry such a limited selection. Especially the daylilies. It would be ok if you want a yard filled with Happy Returns and Stellas.You are also limited locally for dahlia selection. Of course, I still haunt the local places looking, just in case.

While I love to support local businesses, our local nurseries don't have anything beyond the basics. If I want to purchase something new or different, it has to be on-line. I love taking advantage of co-ops and trading, and have found some really wonderful nurseries on-line.

My purchases are mainly seeds. Online I can go to small seed growers who have the
open pollinated varieties which I like. I also trade seeds in seed exchanges.
I find the seeds which I get through these sources are good germinators,
while some of the popular commercial sources do not give me as good germination.
I do occasionally buy locally, but the prices are too high for me.

One local garden center is selling grafted tomatoes for $18. CDN
The same store has blue poppy plants for $20.CDN
Fully grown tomatoe plants are $19.CDN

Way above my gardening budget!
Online I can get more reasonable prices.

Here are my recent Hostas which cost $20 CDN for 10 roots on sale:

I'm both also, I guess. I tend to buy my perennials on-line, as there is very little selection available locally. I do buy all of my annuals locally, and as many seeds as I can as well. However, selection is always the limiting factor. If I want to buy any herbs other than basil, mint, sage or parsley, I'm pretty much out of luck here. I wish I could support our local growers more, but it's hard to balance what they have with what I want

It does seem like the majority of us are in the same boat. Thankfully we do have the option of ordering online!!

I'm also glad that we have the Recommendations feature available- being able to see where my favorite gardeners like to shop is a good help. Or a good enabler